Reminiscence
Reminiscence is the ninth chapter of Jun Mochizuki's The Case Study of Vanitas. Synopsis In the past, The Teacher brought Noé to his castle in Altus shortly after purchasing Noé and teaching him of The Babel Incident, where he was introduced to The Teacher's grandchildren, Louis and Dominique de Sade. The Teacher rejoiced about how everything that had happened fell on one of the days that Dominique was visiting his castle, informing Noé that he must leave at once, but that in the meantime he can ask Louis and Dominique anything he'd like to know about the place. Louis was quick to welcome Noé, greeting him fondly while Dominique muttered her own hellos from behind her elder brother; nervous about meeting a new friend. Shocked by Louis' response, Noé clung to The Teacher for comfort as he informed Louis that it was also nice to meet him. Louis then extended an arm to shake Noé's hand, however when Noé did the same, Louis grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him in close, stating that Noé had no luck in The Teacher taking a shine to him; sympathizing with the newly purchased Vampire. Later, while playing with some of Dominique's dolls, Noé revealed to Dominique that he was raised by humans. A shocked Dominique then asked if that meant that Noé had spent his entire life in the human realm, which Noé confirmed; prompting Dominique to question what had happened to Noé's parents. Noé admitted that he wasn't sure, as his adoptive grandmother, Elaine, and adoptive grandfather had found him crying one day in the snow. From a tree above them, Louis calls Noé a dummy for believing what the humans told him, instead suggesting that they'd kidnapped Noé to raise until he was big enough for them to eat. Outraged, Noé threw Dominique's doll at Louis, insisting that his adoptive grandparents weren't bad people; prompting memories of his adoptive grandfather telling him not to worry and inviting Noé to live with him and his wife until Noé's parents came for him. Noé then admitted that his adoptive grandfather had even often told him about Vampires, having cited that just like humans there were good ones and bad ones among their ranks. The memories of Elaine and her husband ultimately brought Noé to tears - much to Louis and Dominique's shock and confusion. As Noé insisted that Louis apologize for his harsh words about Noé's adoptive grandparents, Dominique glared at Louis and forced him to do as Noé asked in order to stop him from crying further. Soon after, Noé explains that he'd thought that he and his adoptive grandparents would be friends forever, but one day his adoptive grandfather got sick and died, while Elaine fell asleep one day and never woke up. Louis chimed in that it must have been at this point when the kidnappers took Noé; which Noé confirms; admitting that he'd been out looking for flowers to put on the graves of his adoptive grandparents. Louis mentioned that he had heard that a lot of Vampires bring humans to Altus in order to be sold off as slaves, meaning that they must have been very surprised to find out that Noé was actually a Vampire. While Dominique implied that Louis should be more sensitive to Noé's situation, Noé confirmed Louis' assumption, explaining that he'd been taken to many places before being purchased by The Teacher. Dominique sympathized with Noé - believing his experience must have been awful; only for Noé to correct her by stating that because of what had happened he was fed regularly and got the opportunity to come to Altus, thus it was similar to travelling. This made both Louis and Dominique laugh, with the two of them coming to the conclusion that Noé was very odd. From then on, Louis and Dominique became Noé's closest friends; playing and exploring together without end. Eventually, the three Vampires happened upon some other Vampires from a neighboring village, befriending Mina, Fred, Gilles and Fanny and discovering a secret base together. One day, Dominique discovered that Noé can read memories through blood; asking Noé about this while playing dressup. Noé confirmed what Dominique had heard, explaining that when he drank blood memories just rush in and he could see all sorts of things. Intrigued, Dominique offered her own blood to Noé and insisted that he view her memories. Noé obliged, only to encounter a lot of memories about him. Still curious, Dominique looked to her older brother, and while Louis denied wanting to have his memories read, Dominique and Noé tackled him to the ground so that Noé could drink some of Louis' blood. Upon doing so, Dominique asked what Noé had seen, but Noé remained silent; having seen that Louis felt alone and curled up in darkness. Reviewing his own memories, Noé suggests that perhaps if he had more power at the time, perhaps he would have seen Louis' past properly and been able to prevent himself from losing Louis. Noé reviews how Dominique had come from the De Sade Family estate and was dropped off at her grandfather's castle for monthly visits, while Louis remained at the castle permanently. While searching through The Teacher's record, Louis revealed to Noé that he had been left at his grandfather's castle for his own health soon after he was born when they'd determined that he was "sick". Confused, Noé wondered what Louis meant by that, though Louis himself was also unaware, and so Noé asked if Louis wanted to see his mother and father again - only for Louis to laugh; claiming that as far as they're concerned he was already dead. While Noé contemplated what he should say to Louis in order to make him feel better, Louis came across and read a small notebook that had been laid open on The Teacher's desk. Later, Noé drags a frightened Dominique to the castle courtyard in order to view the Blue Moon's beauty. This made The Teacher laugh as he remarked on how there was no other Vampire who would be so delighted over seeing the Blue Moon. Solemnly, Louis looked to his grandfather and asked what a Curse-Bearer was, revealing that he had found material about himself in The Teacher's collection room in relation to Curse-Bearers. The Teacher simply admitted his own clumsiness and questioned whether or not he'd left the documents there, but Louis slammed his fist down in reaction and asked that his grandfather not lie to him, knowing well that The Teacher had wanted him to find those documents. As The Teacher began to laugh, Louis looked to Noé and Dominique, asking if that was the reason why his parents had Dominique, in order to forget about his existence because he was a Curse-Bearer. The Teacher looked to his grandson, prompting Louis to ask what it was that The Teacher wanted him to do. Contently, The Teacher admitted that Louis had it all wrong, as there was nothing that he wanted Louis to do. In fact, The Teacher made a point of how Louis was free to do as he pleased; wanting only to observe the process and benefit from whatever Louis' will lead him to do. Amused, Louis smirked and looked to Noé, telling The Teacher that he really does have awful taste. Continuing to review his memories, Noé admits to himself that from that day forward, it seemed as though Louis started to change gradually. Eventually, Louis began carving stakes, which confused Noé, who constantly questioned what it was that Louis was making - though Louis' answer was always that it was meant to be a surprise, as it was a present for Noé. As time went by, Noé had noticed that Louis would occasionally gaze off into the distance, or that his face would contort sometimes while around Dominique, or that he would avoid speaking with The Teacher. Noé would later notice that Louis had begun making something else, with Louis admitting that he'd messed up and had to begin carving Noé's present anew. Despite what he'd said, Louis' present would never be finished, and to Noé it seemed as though he was sealing his emotions within it instead. With this in mind, Noé stopped Louis from carving further, desperately asking Louis what he could do to help. Before Louis could reveal that he was a Curse-Bearer to Noé however, Dominique burst into the room, revealing in a panic that she had heard the maids talking, but before she could say what they'd been talking about, Louis asked if Dominique was referring to Mina's execution to be held the next day. Shocked, both Noé and Dominique look to Louis, with Noé asking why Mina was to be executed. Louis bluntly revealed that it was because Mina was a Curse-Bearer, which confused Dominique, thus Louis coldly revealed that Curse-Bearers were to be executed by The Bourreau, as that was the rule. Noé finds himself in disbelief that Louis had already known about Mina, though Louis doesn't say anything, prompting Noé to vow that he would go and save Mina right away. Louis however told Noé not to be a fool, asking how he could possibly save Mina when he knew it was impossible to erase the curse of the Blue Moon. Noé asked how Louis could talk like that, with Louis brushing it off as mere fact, only for Noé to retort that they can't know anything unless they try. This set something off within Louis, who asked if Noé if he was saying that he could do it, if he could cure Mina, grabbing Noé and insisting that if he's so sure, then he should do it right then and there. Realizing what Louis had said, Noé just looked to his friend in disbelief. Louis then put Noé down and blankly confirmed what he'd already said, that there was not a single thing that Noé could do. Noé pushed Louis away, calling him a jerk as he left the castle with Dominique in tow; stating that she wanted to save Mina too and asking if they couldn't get Fred, Gilles and Fanny to help get Mina away from the village to escape her execution. That night, one of the maids asked Louis if he had seen Dominique and Noé anywhere, making Louis realize that they'd gone to attempt to save Mina. Out of fear for Dominique and Noé's safety, Louis gave in to Charlatan and the black figure, who gladly accepted the opportunity presented to her, explaining how she'd been within Louis for a long time now waiting for him to want something very, very badly. At the secret base, Noé, Dominique, Fred, Gilles and Fanny hide with Mina, who suddenly comes under a great deal of physical stress without explanation. As Fred attempts to calm Mina down, she turns on him, biting into Fred's neck and draining him of his blood, killing him instantly. A shocked Gilles and Fanny attempted to back away, with Mina setting her sights on Noé and Dominique instead - though as she dove after them with the intent to kill, Louis charged in and threw Mina against the wall; ripping her head off mere moments later. Happy to see that Noé and Dominique were safe, Louis began going rogue himself, chasing after Gilles and Fanny, killing them in an attempt to quench his insatiable blood lust. Noé ordered Dominique to run, though before she could do so, Louis set his sights on the two of them, with Noé defending Dominique and asking if Louis was mad about earlier; apologizing for not listening to Louis and admitting that this had all been his fault. Noé begged Louis to listen to him and go back to his old self, striking a chord within Louis, who - in a moment of lucidity - asks that Noé kill him. As Louis fell into Noé's arms, he stated that he couldn't go back to normal and that The Bourreau would cut off his head soon, so if he was meant to die anyway, he'd rather die by Noé's hand. With a broken Louis in his arms, Noé told his friend that he couldn't bring himself to kill him. Just then, Louis lost control once again and attempted to kill Noé, only to be swiftly decapitated. As Noé collapsed to his hands and knees, The Teacher - in a twisted monstrous form - noted how close that had been and how hurrying home seemed to have been the right thing to do after all; asking Noé if he was all right. Noé then states that he'd thought that from the bottom of his heart it was abominable that, even in a situation as dark as this, he felt relieved to be alive. Covering his mouth in horror and crying over the corpse of his best friend, Noé confirmed to The Teacher that he was all right. Characters Terms Gallery Manga - louis dan domi kecil.png|Louis and Dominique appears. MangaVan9 - noe dan domi main boneka.png|Noe and Domi playing dolls. MangaVan9 - Louis dilempar boneka kelinci.png|Dominique's doll at Louis' face MangaVan9 - enraged little Noe.png|Enraged MangaVan9 - little Noe with his adoptive gran.png|Little Noe with his adoptive parents MangaVan9 - little Noe want to crying.png MangaVan9 - cherishes.png MangaVan9 - befriended.png|Befriended with Louis and Dominique MangaVan9 - befriended again.png|Befriended again with Mina, Giles, Fred and Fanny, also found a secret base MangaVan9 - pretty little Domi.png|Dominique found Noe's ability to read memories MangaVan9 - in the teacher's room.png|In The Teacher's record MangaVan9 - Louis de Sade reading.png MangaVan9 - dancing under the blue moon.png|Playing under the blue moon MangaVan9 - Louis resah.png MangaVan9 - Louis and The Teacher.png|Louis and The Teacher MangaVan9 - Noe Domi kecil.png MangaVan9 - Louis jengkel.png MangaVan9 - in the shining night.png 9 Domi Noe.jpg MangaVan9 - Noe Domi tegang.png MangaVan9 - Mina's execution.png|Mina's execution MangaVan9 - bersitegang.png MangaVan9 - ruins as the secret base.png MangaVan9 - Louis Naenia.png|Naenia appears MangaVan9 - Louis attacking Fanny and Fred.png|Louis attacking Fanny and Fred MangaVan9 - bloodthirsty Louis.png MangaVan9 - memory about Louis.png|Memory about Louis MangaVan9 - Noe crying.png Trivia * Alternate Title: Friends * Memoire 9: Reminiscence is the first chapter of The Case Study of Vanitas to not include Vanitas. * Rather than taking place in present day, Memoire 9: Reminiscence is the first chapter of The Case Study of Vanitas to take place entirely within flashbacks. Navigation Category:The Case Study of Vanitas Category:Manga